Dear Clients and Friends, we’re so excited to introduce you to Mike & Jackie Flowers. Mike and Jackie have had successful and impactful professional careers and live a life centered on family and the faith. As they transition to retirement, they are excited to watch their children build their own wonderful lives.
Matt: Mike, we’re thrilled to be sharing some of your and Jackie’s great life story. Please begin by sharing a bit about your respective childhoods and your higher education pursuits.
Mike: I grew up in Columbus in what’s now Victorian Village. I attended the Columbus City Schools through 8th grade, then was awarded a scholarship to Wyoming Seminary, a college preparatory school in Kingston, Pennsylvania. I then enrolled at Bucknell University and graduated with a BS in Business Administration. I earned my law degree from The Ohio State University.
Jackie grew up in Worthington, Ohio and graduated from Thomas Worthington High School. She received her BS Degree from the School of Allied Health at The Ohio State University.
Jackie’s father, Harry Bailey was a World War II veteran that grew up in Columbus, and had a career as a U.S postal worker. Her mother, Madelyn Bailey spent her entire career at the Ohio Department of Taxation. My father Robert Flowers served in the U.S Army during World War II and then moved to Tennessee to establish his own private taxi service and met my mother, Cynthia. My parents moved to Columbus in 1950 and started a family-owned business, Calmiko, Inc., which they owned and operated successfully for 40 years.
Matt: It’s inspiring to see how you and Jackie built upon your parents legacy of hard work and were able to pursue more advanced education; the American Dream! Thank you for sharing – let’s now learn more about your adult children.
Mike: Jackie and I are blessed with two wonderful children. Our son, Darien, lives in Washington. DC with his wife, Kirsten, and our 3 year old granddaughter, Olivia. Darien works in maritime affairs and government relations, and Kirsten is a senior workforce consultant.
Our daughter, Andrea, lives in Greenville, South Carolina which is also the home of her fiancée, Christopher Sawyer. Andrea is a licensed speech language pathologist with a private practice organization and Christopher is an engineer with an automobile manufacturer.
Matt: I can tell you’re very proud of your children and their accomplishments, as you should be. Let’s turn to you and Jackie – you both have had long and distinguished careers – please share your career paths with our readers and what you each have enjoyed about your professions.
Mike: Over the last 46 years, I have practiced general corporate and commercial real estate law. As a business lawyer, I have enjoyed advising business owners who are taking risks and making investments that will grow our economy and create opportunities for themselves and for our communities. I believe that when the business sector creates jobs that pay living wages, that leads to stable families. Stable families lead to stable communities and success for children in schools. Children who are successful in school go on to become successful adults and positive contributors to society.
Jackie’s has had a remarkable 48-year career as a licensed clinical dietitian at Grant Medical Center, she has witnessed firsthand how technology has provided new treatment options that have improved patient outcomes. She has appreciated being part of a team of professionals who are dedicated to first-class medical care for all patients. In that regard, Jackie spent several years on a team that traveled throughout Franklin County on a mobile coach to take health care services to individuals in the community. Over the years, Jackie has also enjoyed being a mentor for those new to her profession.
Matt: Mike, you were recently honored as the 2025 Ohio State Bar Association Medal Recipient for your leadership within the Bar Association and your many years of service to the community. Congratulations! Which community service opportunities have you enjoyed most over the years?
Mike: My two most enjoyable community service activities were my time as Chair of the Mount Carmel Health System Board of trustees and my time as the Chair of the Board of Trustees of Columbus State Community College. I was honored to serve on the Mount Carmel Health System board. I believe a healthy body and mind are essential to a productive life and I was honored to serve on the board to help look for opportunities to make compassionate health care available. My time on the board of Columbus State Community College helped make sure as many individuals as possible are prepared to share in the growth and prosperity that has arrived in central Ohio. I was privileged to serve on the board and was part of the effort to team our college with the business community and high school partners to create affordable pathways to the post high school training needed by today’s workforce.
Matt: Your careers are so well suited to you two – they’ve been focused on others and helping improve the lives of so many of our central Ohio citizens – thank you! In our work with our clients we strive to help them live a “great life.” What constitutes a “great life” for each of you and what are you looking forward to as you transition to retirement in the not too distant future.
Mike: As Jackie and I thought about our answer to this question, we both agreed we have been blessed with a “great life”. For us, our great life came about as a consequence of several factors:
We both had parents who loved us and provided a stable home environment.- We were both given the opportunity to pursue our career goals through higher education.
- We were both able to have our children know and spend meaningful time with their grandparents.
- We both shared a deep commitment to building our family structure on the firm foundation of our religious faith.
- We both recognized that no one succeeds alone. Therefore, we have tried to remain alert to opportunities to open doors for others while remembering, with gratitude, those who opened doors for us.
As we transition into retirement, we are excitedly looking forward to witnessing and cheering on our children as they successfully launch into their own family structures.
Matt: Mike, what an inspiring great life story you and Jackie have shared; thank you for sharing it! We’re so blessed to have you as clients and friends and we hope you have many joyful and purposeful years ahead.